


Work Song

by BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Bottom Catra (She-Ra), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kinky Angst, Light Dom/sub, More soft than smutty, Romance, Second Kinky Angst Fic I have written oh my I have a problem, Self-Harm, Smut, Songfic, Top Adora (She-Ra), Wait no its actually my third kinky angst fic lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28181313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies/pseuds/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies
Summary: The road to redemption isn't smooth, and some days are harder than others.Thankfully, Adora is there to make the pain go away.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 127





	Work Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Domika83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Domika83/gifts).



> For Domi.  
> You know why you are receiving Catradora smut today.  
> You gave me 30 days worth of reasons why this is your gift. xD  
> Thank you for being such a wonderful friend.
> 
> Content warning: Self-harm depicted at the start of the fic. Based on what was in a certain fanfic implied to have been written by a certain someone, and therefore canon in my eyes.

Catra had been under the shower for 18 minutes and 33 seconds. Now 34. One thing she learnt about herself during her time in the Horde was that she had an extraordinarily accurate body clock. It was why she was one of the strongest spies in the program, stalking her prey without notice and reporting their hourly whereabouts with extreme precision.

The other thing she learnt about herself while in the Horde was that she had an immense capacity for cruelty.

Receiving cruelty.

Delivering cruelty.

19 minutes and 2 seconds now.

The heat was on the highest setting and the water burned as it rolled down her back, but Catra wanted it to hurt more. In a way the warmth was soothing to the ache in her muscles after a hard day’s work, but Catra didn’t deserve to be soothed.

She turned so her front face the stream, embracing the sudden searing splash with nothing more than a grimace. She opened her palm to the water, allowing the heat to bite into the large gash in it.

Around the gash were four deep puncture marks. They hurt too.

Good.

Catra had got the large cut in her hand earlier that day, accidentally slicing her hand open on one of the seashell tiling she was putting up in a home in Salineas.

She had carried on working, licking away at the wound like she had always done since she was a kitten, collecting cuts and scrapes in the Horde like how other children would collect stickers.

But the four puncture marks were her own doing. Building what she had helped burn to the ground was doing a number on her, and she knew she deserved every angry stare and disgruntled whisper behind her back.

But still, every “thank you” and ‘I’m glad you’re here” she occasionally received from a villager stung even worse it was almost unbearable. So she clenched her fist, letting the prick of her claws against the flesh of her palms center her as she forced out the “you’re very welcome”s she didn’t feel right to deliver.

Exactly 20 minutes.

The bathroom door opened.

“Catra…? You’ve been in here forever. Not like you to love bath-time so much. Is everything alright?”

There was a long silence as Adora regarded the steamy fog that must have filled up the entire bathroom by now. The shower curtain parted and there was a small gasp, as Adora found Catra under the scalding shower, bloody palm right up against the onslaught of the water.

Catra braced herself for a scolding from Adora.

_You know you shouldn’t do this anymore. Talk to me instead, Catra._

But Adora said nothing, stepping into the shower to join Catra, emitting a small hiss of discomfort as the water rained down on her. Gently but surely, she pushed Catra out of the way, nudging her backwards until her back hit the wall, Adora’s body shielding her from the hot water. Catra didn’t know how an act so determined and forceful could feel exactly how love should feel like.

Adora reached behind her to turn the shower off.

She looked down at Catra, and try as hard as she did to hide it, Catra saw the sympathy in her face. Adora was always an open book to her.

Catra looked at their feet, Adora’s gaze too difficult to face.

She felt a firm hand against her neck, pulling her head forwards, as another hand cradled her injured palm between them. In her position she could see how red and angry her wounds have become under the hot water.

With Adora’s guidance, her forehead landed against Adora. She felt the tingling against her fur as a glow burst forth from her love. Soon the warmth of skin was replaced with the cool of metal as her forehead was now pressed against She-ra’s crown.

The tingling spread through her, before concentrating around her wounds. It felt like a balm to her physical wounds and to her soul.

When the sensation faded, Catra opened her eyes to study her palm. The skin there was pristine. Unmarked. Perfect.

It was like a reset.

But She-ra couldn’t fix everything. Not for Catra.

And Catra knew some wounds would never heal.

She didn’t deserve for these ones to heal so easily either.

Adora could sense Catra shrinking away from her, leaning back against the wall as a sob started to swell in Catra’s chest. She caught Catra before the other girl could crumple to the ground, lifting her clean off the ground to cradle in her arms.

Even back as Adora now, clothes miraculously dry from transforming into She-ra before, carrying Catra was near effortless for her, and Catra sunk into the solid form enveloping her like she was returning home.

Adora walked them to their bedroom, sitting against the headboard as she freed one hand from holding Catra to pull the drapes of their four-poster bed shut around them. Catra heaved a sigh of relief at the darkness that shrouded them.

Here, with just Adora, she was nearly free from her darkest thoughts. _Nearly._

Adora was still holding her in silence, scooping her head to settle against the crook of her neck as she gathered Catra’s limbs into her a long arms. She began to rock her gently.

But Catra knew what she _needed_ to make the pain go away. At least temporarily. But she couldn’t ask for it. Not when she earned this hurt. Not when she feels like she should suffer every minute of it.

Anything to take it away is a luxury not bestowed on a wretched being like her.

She was trembling now, the feeling of just _existing_ being too overwhelming. She shouldn’t be here. After everything she’s done. She should be gone. Swallowed by that pool of green hell, shocking her with enough pain to match everything she had ever felt inside.

She should be gone. Gone gone gone.

“Catra…”

The voice pulled her back, anchoring her safely when the goodness of her reality was starting to feel too incomprehensible.

She wanted. _Needed_. Adora in way that would take her away from this reality. But someone like her should not be allowed to get what she wants.

But of course, Adora gave it to her. For all the clues Adora seem to _never_ get about love, she was incredibly perceptive to hurt.

“Catra,” she whispered again, lips pressed behind Catra’s ear, allowing her voice to be felt rather than heard, “do you want to let go?”

Catra clung onto her tighter at that, understanding Adora perfectly. Adora wasn’t asking her to let go literally. Well, not physically, at least.

She knew what Adora wanted to do.

_Yes._

It was fucked up, how she was coping with this, but right now she couldn’t bring herself to care. In this moment, when the gentle light streaming in through their shades hid the rest of the world from view except Adora, there was no right or wrong. No Horde to fuck them up. No rebellion to tear them apart. No wreckage to feel guilty about. Just the two of them.

She arched up further into Adora’s neck, feeling a blush spread through her as she nodded into Adora.

With that consent, Adora gripped even tighter still, pressing her so deep against Adora that she could feel their beating hearts hammering against each other. Never losing contact, Adora turned them to the side, placing Catra gently on the bed.

A hand still in her hair, Adora raked her fingers through her short locks, fingertips pressingly firmly into Catra’s scalp. She kissed down Catra’s jaw, letting out a soft groan at how pliant Catra was being.

“I am going to take the pain away, Catra.”

It wasn’t a question. Adora wasn’t asking. Adora knew what she was doing and knew what she was capable of. And Adora was simply going to take what she wanted.

 _That_ Catra could live with. She could exist if she had to, for Adora. The world wouldn’t miss her, but Adora would. And Catra would never want Adora to suffer if she could help it. She would crawl from her grave to Adora if she had to.

One day she would live for herself. But today was not that day. She hoped to get there eventually, but with the devotion in the way Adora was biting and sucking at her pulse point, she could afford to forget for a moment just how far she still was from that goal.

Adora was being too gentle. Catra couldn’t _stand_ tenderness in her current state.

“Adora… harder…” she forced out, “I… I need- ”

_I need it to hurt._

Adora stopped what she was doing, her lips hovering just above Catra’s fur as she shifted slowly up her neck, to rest just at the base of Catra’s ear. She blew out a long breath that sent a shiver down Catra’s spine.

Adora nipped once at her ear, sharp and quick.

“Ah!” Catra gasped.

“This is not about what you need,” Adora whispered, “it is about what I want.”

And the finality in Adora’s tone was enough to confirm Catra’s suspicion that the bite to her ear was the only pain she was going to receive tonight.

_Yes yes yes._

Funny how Adora like this, simultaneously selfish and selfless in a way she’s only learnt to be recently, could make Catra feel worthy enough to want love over pain. But there was no time to think about it, no _need_ to think at all as Adora continued to take control, running a tongue down her bite to soothe it, before she resumed her path down Catra’s neck.

Soon Adora was at Catra’s chest, and the attention and care in her touch and kisses would have been too much if it weren’t for Adora’s latest words echoing in her head. It didn’t matter if she deserved this pleasure, Adora wanted it and Catra was just going to have to take it. Catra let herself forget who she was for a moment and basked in this relief, arching up to accept more of Adora’s affections.

Adora was inching lower now, and the loss of Adora’s reassuring form hovering over her was weirdly frightening, so as much as the heat between Catra’s legs _ached_ , she couldn’t have Adora moving any further down.

“Adora, stay..” and because it felt like too much of a command for Catra to cope with at the moment, she added, unable to hold in her whimper, “…please.”

Adora understood, sliding all the way back up to kiss Catra on the lips. It felt more like she was _claiming_ Catra, with the way her tongue slipped into Catra with the full confidence that Catra would let her in.

When they broke apart to breathe, all Adora said was, “I’m here.”

And it was all Catra ever needed to hear.

Desperate to _keep_ her here, Catra keened, wrapping her arms round Adora to pull her down against her, and Adora crashed against her lips with a tiny ‘oof’ at the force of her hug.

Somehow Adora managed to wedge a hand between their crushed forms, and her thumb brushed once over Catra’s pubic bone, seeking entry.

Catra cried out at the contact, claws sinking into Adora’s back.

Adora let out a hiss in pain.

_Fuck._

It was all she was ever good for, wasn’t it?

_Some creatures are destined only for destruction._

She was going to destroy the only person she ever loved.

At least that was what _that woman_ always said.

 _Go in go in go in._ But the claws wouldn’t retract. Catra could feel the tears and fear start to burn.

“Catra, come back to me.”

She tried. She _really_ tried. But she just wanted the bed to swallow her whole so she would never have to see her love in pain again. Pain that she caused.

A firm hand guided her face to look up at Adora. Adora smiled gently.

“It’s fine, Catra.”

And then a pink tinge coloured the cheeks of the woman above her, “I… I kinda like it, actually.”

Catra was finding it a little hard to breathe now, Adora…. likes it… when Catra hurts her….?

_Some creatures are destined only for destruction._

Adora saw the panic in Catra’s eyes, which reflected in her eyes too.

“Catra… no, I mean… I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Adora, please, I can’t…”

At Catra’s desperate pleas, Adora’s jaw set and her eyes flickered with strength, the urge to protect roaring through her entire being.

“Catra,” Adora said firmly, “it’s fine. Really. I know you. You can never hurt me. It is not the Catra I love.”

And the command in Adora’s tone left no room for rebuttal from Catra. She closed her eyes to let the enormous weight of being loved settle over her.

“Adora…” Catra whined “I can’t… I just… I don’t want to hurt you again. I need… I need you to make sure I don’t…”

For a moment, Adora opened her mouth to protest, wanting to instinctively reassure Catra, but she saw the _need_ in Catra’s eyes and understood.

Maybe Adora wasn’t that dense after all.

“Fine,” Adora grunted out, before strong hands pulled Catra’s hands away from Adora’s back, lifting them up about Catra’s head.

Adora gathered Catra’s wrists in one of her hands and held her there, eyes watching Catra’s face for any signs that this was not actually what Catra wanted.

It was. It so was. And Catra simply arched up into Adora, surprised she could even manage to purr out a “yesss” with how deeply submissive she was feeling at that point.

She was so open and vulnerable like this, and that thought should scare the shit out of her, because since when was her guard _ever_ down, but Catra had never felt so _right_ about something.

Her legs parted, her thighs nudging insistently at Adora’s, which were straddling her sides.

Adora set to work immediately, kissing up and down her front as a hand slipped down between them. The grip over Catra’s wrist was iron, even as Catra writhed and squirmed underneath from the intensity of the pleasure between her legs.

Her peak crashed over her so suddenly Catra came with a shout, but Adora was relentless, even as her orgasm crested away.

This was never about what Catra wanted.

Adora wanted to continue, and so it was going to continue.

And this was exactly what Catra needed in the moment.

A reason to exist.

“I need you, Catra.”

 _Fuck_ , _how did Adora know exactly what she needed to hear?_

Adora had said this once before, but how long had she waited….? _Eons_ … before she even let herself believe it.

“I love you, Catra.”

And Catra was too far gone, unable to respond, as she sunk deep, deep, down into Adora’s love.

As the third orgasm faded Catra winced away from Adora’s fingers, too sensitive after everything. And Adora stopped immediately, the fist over her wrists releasing instantaneously.

In a flash, she was rolled over again to rest on top of Adora this time, Adora’s strong arms once again, wrapped surely around her.

Safer and warmer than any blanket.

Catra was sure the purr rumbling through her was vibrating the whole bed.

They laid that way for a while, before Adora finally broke the silence.

“Could you do me a favour, Catra?”

“Anything.”

“It hurts when I find you in pain like I did earlier… I know it’s difficult… but I…”

Adora squeezed her tightly.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that to yourself. It hurts to see.”

And just like before, in the throes of passion, and now, in a genuine moment of communication, to see Adora so sure with her wants and her wishes, well, how could Catra ever deny her?

“I promise, Adora.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not Blackthorn writing ANOTHER Hozier songfic. Gotta maintain my brand, after all. I’m gonna admit, this ENTIRE fic is inspired by the song it is named after, with the plot of the fic following this verse almost line by line:
> 
> _My baby never fret none_  
>  _About what my hands and my body done_  
>  _If the Lord don't forgive me_  
>  _I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me_  
>  _When I was kissing on my baby_  
>  _And she put her love down soft and sweet_  
>  _In the low lamp light I was free_  
>  _Heaven and hell were words to me_
> 
> Anyway, enjoyed the kinky steamy angst while it lasts <3  
>  The other Catradora fic I am writing will probably be pretty vanilla for now.


End file.
